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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. G. TITUS & J.. 82; S. E. MORRAL.DITOHIG AGHINE. 5 Patented July 21, 1885.

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A Home 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 0. TITUS & J. & s. E. MORRAL. DITGHING MACHINE. No. 322.656. Pa entedJuly 21, 1885.

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Afforl ys UNiTn STATES FFlC JOHN C. TITUS, JOHN MORRAL, AND SAMUEL E.MOR'RAL, OF MARION, OHIO, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO SAID J. O. TITUS, ANDONE- FOURTH EACH TO SAID J. MORRAL AND S. E. MORRAL.

DlTCHING=lVIACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 322,656, dated July21, 1885. Application filed January 30, 1885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ortn O. Trrus, J onN MORRAL, and SAMUEL E.hIORRAL, of Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines; andwe do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in ditching-machines designed moreespecially for laying draining-tiles having for its object thearrangement of upright spiral revolving cutters or angers with outwardlyand upwardly projecting lips that act as excavators, and the inclined orspiral blades that, with the said lips, are arranged to form acontinuous surface from bottom to top of the auger, and act as elevatorsand carry the dirt above the ground and discharge it on either side ofthe ditch.

Our invention consists in the details of corn struetion illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a plan view of a ditching-machine embodying our invention,with the top frame and windlasses removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,with portions broken away to show the mechanism more clearly. Fig. 3 isa detached view of a portion of the shoe. Fig. 4 is a detached view inelevation of the excavating mechanism, showing the mold-boards in openadjustment, and Fig. 5 is a view in section through a portion of one ofthe excavators.

A and A are beams, suitably connected by cross-pieces, forming asupporting-frame, and mounted on the wheel A". On this frame is mountedthe engine 13 and the boiler 13.

On the engine-shaft B is mounted the gear I) and the friction-disk b.-This disk has a spline and the shaft an engaging groove arranged in theusual manner, and a lever, 7), for sliding the disk along the shaft. Theperiphery of the disk engages the face of the disk 0, that is mounted onthe shaft 0, the forward end of which is provided with. a worm, c,engaging the worm-gear l) on the ob ect.

drum d, on which winds the cable cl that advances the machine, the otherend of the cable being attached to an anchor or other stationary Byadjusting the disk b to engage the disk 0 nearer to or farther from thecenter of the latter the speed with which the machine is advanced isregulated as required.

E is a beam, to which the excavating apparatus is attached, and hasattached at the rear the cable 0, leading over the pulley c to thewindlass F. To the forward part of the beam is attached the cable f,that leads direct to the Windlass F. By means of these cables andwindlasses the beam 1t and its attachments may be raised, lowered, ortilted longitudinally, as required. The forward end of the beam isprovided with a spindle that extends laterally on either side of thebeam, and on these projecting parts of the spindle are mounted,respectively, the rollers g. These rollers engage the front faces of thedraftposts G, the forward faces of which are slightly curvedlongitudinally, so that while the beam is tilted by raising or loweringthe forward end the beam will be approximately at right angles to thesurface of these posts, where the rollers for the time being engage theposts. These posts are firmly attached to the parts A, and are suitablybraced, and by their engagement with the rollers g propel the excavatingapparatus, and as they embrace the beam E form guides for this end ofthe beam.

To the rear portion of the beam E are firmly secured the plates 1T,usually of boiler-iron. These plates, at thebottom and near the forwardedge, are secured to a shoe, ll, that slides along on the bottom of theditch. This shoe at It (being at the rear of where the plates H aresecured) has a hinge, by means of which the rear portion of the shoe maybe raised. or depressed, and a screw-rod, I, is pivoted to the shoe and.passed through a nut, II, that is secured between the plates H, and hasa handwheel, L, for regulating the pitch or inclination of this rearportion of the shoe. The shoe is provided also, at It, with a joint orhinge that may be turned a limited distance laterally, but is rigidvertically. 13y means of this latter hinge the shoe, that is ofconsiderable length, may adjust itself laterally in making curves in theditch.

A preferable means of securing the rod I to the shoe is the well-knownball-and-socket attachment, and the nut I is not held rigidly, so thatthe rod I can accommodate itself to any lateral movement of the shoe.

"W hen the amparatns has been properly adjusted and is in operation, theexcavating apparatus rides upon the shoe II without support from thecables, that are only used in raising, lowering, and adjusting thedevice, and, as aforesaid, the inclination of the shoe with the beam IEand angers is regulated by the red I, and by this means the depth of theditch is regulated.

n the forward part of the shoe, that, aforesaid, is rigidly attached tothe plates, are the steppings that support, respectively, the uprightshafts J and J", on which are respectively arranged the angers j and j.These au gers are usually of cast metal and madein sections, but ofcourse can each be made of asingle piece, if preferred. The forwardauger, j, on the periphery, has a lip, j", (see Fig. 5,) projectingupward and outward on an angle of about forty-iive degrees (more orless) from a horizontal line. These ribs serve as cutters or excavatorsproper, and should be made hard, to withstand the wear. If the angersare of cast metal, the ribs should be chilled in casting; or, if theangers are of steel, the ribs should be highly tempered. The rear anger,that only serves as an elevator, need not have these ribs, although theywould do no harm. Something more than half of the anger j is in advanceof the casing or plates II. The casing is about as wide as will followfreely in the ditch made by the auger, and the ends of the plates arebrought as near the periphery of the auger as is practicable. The twoaugers are located about as near each other as they will revolve withoutcontact, andasemicylindrical plate, I1 secured to the plates II, forms acasing for the rear of the anger The excavating capacity of the augerjis so great and the loose dirt to be elevated is so bulky that the augerwill sometimes clog un- 3 less the machine is advanced more slowly thanwould otherwise be necessary. To avoid such clogging, we have providedthe rear anger, j, to assist in elevating the dirt, and with the twoangers thus arranged no diffi- 5 culty is had in running the machine toits full capacity. The rear auger need not extend to the shoe, as theforward auger will elevate the dirt somelittle distance without anyassistance. As shown in'l ig. .3, the plates I-I oppo- 0 site the topsof the angers are cut away to allow the dirt to discharge on eitherside. Two mold-boards, K, of considerable length are hinged,respectively, to thepla-tes II, or to the rods depending from the frameA, if preferred,

'5 and extending rearward, and arranged to drag along the ground oneither side of the ditch. If the tiles are to be laid as the machineadfrom the ditch.

vanccs, the mold-boards are left to drag along close to the ditch, (seeFig. 1,) and prevent the dirt from falling into the ditch while thetiles are being laid; but at the rear end of the mold-boards much of thedirt will fall into the ditch and the remainder will be in closeproximity to the ditch. If the ditch is to be left open, the mold-boardsare distended, as shown in Fig. 4, and scrape the dirt back The shafts Jand J are provided, respectively, with the gears L and L, that engagethe gears Z Z, that are mounted on the shaft M. This shaft is jonraledin suitable boxes that are secured to the beam E, and the front end ofthe shaft is connected by a universal joint, m, with the shaft N. Theshaft N has an extension or slip-joint consisting of the sleeve a,secured to one part of the shaft, and provided with a spline thatengages a groove in the other part of the shaft in the usual manner. Theforward end of the shaft N is journaled in suitable boxes attached tothe yoke O, that in turn is jonrnaled at the front end on theenne-shaft. The shaft N has attached the gear N, that engages the gearb. By this arrangement of parts the shaft N when in motion or at restcan accommodate itself both in length and in position in a verticalplane to the movements of the excavating apparatus.

What we claim is 1. In a ditching-machine, the combination,

with an excavator and elevating anger as described, of a second anger atthe rear and in open relation with the first auger and arranged toassist in. elevating the dirt, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with one or more angers asdescribed, ofa shoe the forward part of which is provided with steppingsto support such angers, and the shoe provided with two hinges or joints,the one operating laterally and the other vertically, substantially asset forth.

3. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with one or more uprightangers for excavating and elevating the dirt, of a jointed shoe, and acasing for supporting said auger, a tilting beam with the casingsattached,and cables and windlasses or equivalent devices for operatingthe beam, substantially as set forth.

4t. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with a tilting beam, acasing, and shoe supporting upright angers, of laterally-projectingspindles and rollers mounted thereon, and upright draft-posts secured tothe machine for engaging said rollers and propelling the excavatingapparatus, v substantially as set forth.

5. In a ditching-1nachine, the combination,

with a tilting beam arranged to support one or more excavating andelevating angers, and the shaft M, intergearedwith the spindles of saidauger and supported from said beam, of a tumbling-rod provided with anextension or slip-joint and connected to the shaft M by a universaljoint, and jouri'ialed in boxes 'attached to the yoke that in turn isjournaled on the engine-shaft or other shaft from which" of acasingsecured to the tilting beam, and" two angers located within the casingand journaled to the beam, substantially as set forth.

8. In an excavating-machine, the combination,with a tilting beam anddepending casing supported from the beam, of two upright augers, therear auger for elevating and the for- 20 ward auger for excavating andelevating the earth, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 15th day of January, 1885.

JOHN C. TITUS. JOHN MORRAL. SAMUEL E. MORRAL.

Witnesses:

'J. E. DAVIDS, JOHN GAIRY.

